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Agreed. Many think we are a Democracy which means; whatever the people vote on basically becomes the law. A Democratic Republic protects the individual rights of the few, even if the majority wants to vote contrary to their rights. One example of that is slavery

CWS, I don't think you are unAmerican to criticize, heck, that's one of the great things that separates us from places like communist china!
I am well aware that we don't have a perfect democracy which is why I referred to it as "A work in progress". I do believe that for all the faults your friends and acquantices mentioned, they are still very happy to be in the greatest country in the world. There will probably always be abuses, injustices and room for improvement because with all our laws, rights, checks and balances we cannot predict the human element in all this. Frank

Franki,

All of these people were visiting Engineers, here for six months to a year and many of them came back for additional six month stints. My employer had a "global presense" with engineering offices in major regions and cities, and manufacturing in the UK, France, Germany, China, and India and of course several facilities here in the good ol' U. S. of A.

You might be surprised that none of these people were so delighted that any of them ever voiced any desire to stay.

My job at the time, was expanded to "coordinate" with these people, watch over thier stay and see to it that they had no problems. I was quite happy in that responsibility and it gave me a very surprising insight into how other parts of the world live and how we here are often perceived. Most to the time it was very interesting and very often even humorous. I also have to admit that of the very few problems that did crop up were, all but one, on our side, with descriminaton being the worst case in the community. Some of our guys simply didn't like "foreigners".

The one problem visitor that we did have a problem with was a fellow from China. What I was most surprised with, and I'm sure you will find surprising too, is that his problem wasn't political or even "Chinese".... IT was that he was a "bible-beater". Yes, you couldn't go discuss anything with the guy what he wouldn't twist it around and go down the path to religion. Even in technical classes, he'd take want to discuss religion on the breaks. I took the guy out to lunch once every week and he'd bring his bible with him. After the first couple of months it became sort of a drudge part of the job. He packed up his stuff and left two months early, thankfully!

Over three years that I was working with this training, we had several people from China, and in one case they fellow brought his wife and two children (who attended school here for that year). Every one of these people came with "American" names. In the case of the family mentioned, they all had American names. I asked about that and "Billy" told me that "English" was THE most important foreign language to learn, and that they understood the complexities of their Chinese names and how hard it would be for others to learn, so they took on English names to make things easier for us here.

The one "common thread" that I found with every "foreign" person that I worked with, was how much we are all alike. We have the very same concerns for our families, similar goals, and in most cases similar likes and dislikes. Basically a fellow from China, or from Saudi Arabia, or from Russia, is all that different than you and I might be.... once you get past the politics (which is real easy because none of them were political). Religion was only a problem with that one guy, but that was no different than many people here. The big surprise was that in almost every single case, relating to our business, was that all the regions that they professionally served, wanted our product MADE IN THE USA! And that they told me, over and over again, was a difficulty because our company was pushing to make product in thier country's and none of them felt it would sell, because of quality issues.

But of course.... we see management push ahead in spite of such marketing research. The "why?" of that is quite simply... PROFIT. So goes my feeling for top management and the 1%, who decide these things.

CWS

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CWS, I'm not in the least surprised that deep down we have much in common with folks from other countries because we are all human. Perhaps years of fear condition some folks to doubt the reality of our human rights, freedom to speak freely, practice religion if we so choose. How would you explain any one of sound mind and body choosing to live under a brutal, suppressive government rather than our imperfect but free society? Do you deny that it is far better to live in the USA where we can have this electronic conversation than in a country where the internet is monitored, contolled and those who protest disappear? Have I got it wrong, is life in communist china great, better than here? If not, then those folks who choose to leave here under thier own free will are idiots.

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"Now that I'm not on the drone kill list, would you and the Kid like to apologize for anything?" I don't know how I got into this, but the only thing I could apologize for is NOT supporting CWS more than I have. Bythe way, Frank, what makes you think you are NOT on the drone list?

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Kid, I've criticized President Bush and his administration, as well as President Obama, so if there is a kill list I'm on it! You and CWS have nothing to apologize for, if you're okay with supporting communist china over our beautiful country that's your choice Just kidding, Kid.

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Frankie, I don't know enough about China to support or not support--I have never been there. All I know about them is what the media has to say--Oh, I forgot--If it is in print or on TV or on the internet, it must be fact. ( they NEVER lie, you know)

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Kid we are lucky with our "media" because they can take a fact and have it support different and opposing agendas, only in America! I'm no expert on communist china, but I'm pretty sure given charges of human rights violations, it is not a place I would choose to live over the USA.

Kid we are lucky with our "media" because they can take a fact and have it support different and opposing agendas, only in America! I'm no expert on communist china, but I'm pretty sure given charges of human rights violations, it is not a place I would choose to live over the USA.

Who is calling the kettle black Frank the US was the greatest power on earth in 1945 and could have stopped Russia in its tracks and saved millons of people with one bomb on Moscow but no Iran had a freely elected government in the early 1950`s and which country didn`t like Iran ruling itself North Korea which country didn`t follow through but stopped half way one guess it seems to be everywhere your righteous democracy goes you stuff it up the middle east is a basket case because of the US and you wonder why they blew up the twin towers just look at how you pay lip service to peace in Palestine and alow the Jews to take more and more Palestinian land and south east Asia nearly ended up the same way dispite the you and the US